Gifted
by MrQuinlansBloodDoll
Summary: Hazel has a special ability that no one ever really understood. After years of being in a mental institution she finally travels to a place she can call home.


"All I want is to fulfill.

Praise my mission, bless my will.

If you kill me, break my neck,

because seven times I'll resurrect.

Come! No night too dark, no road too long.

Run! No rain too hard, no wind too strong.

Pray! No blood too red, no cut too deep.

Stay! No paint too bad, no track too steep.

Faith! I'm bound to live my destiny.

Hail! My longing for eternity."

- In Strict Confidence: Seven Lives

* * *

It was always the same.

The name calling, the bullying...

It never ended.

Hazel had started tuning everyone out, even when she was pushed down the stairs. Countless times she would come home and have to cut gum out of her hair. Her parents worried. They had no idea how to help her. But they worried not just because of the bullying but because of the way she would talk. Ever since she was young she would talk to people that nobody else could see.

They thought it was different imaginary friends when she was a child but she kept speaking to nothing even after she hit her teenage years. The neighbors were horrified by the girl, the teachers constantly arranged meeting with the parents. Eventually she was put in a mental ward when she started hurting herself. The parents did not know what else to do.

So, here she was. In a straight jacket surrounded by padded walls.

_"Please help me get through to him, you are the only one who can do this for me, Hazel!"_

"I can't, I'm sorry. Please... Just leave me alone before they force more medication down my throat..." To others she was talking to nothing but little did they know... There was very much someone there.

_"Please! He is coming in soon to bring you medication... Please, let him know that it was not his fault!"_

Hazel sighed, "Fine."

Sure enough, the doors opened and a man walked in. It was one she had never seen before, she assumed he was new. He was rather attractive with his spiky brown hair and blue eyes. He was muscular and seemed to be in shape.

"Logan." Hazel said.

"...Yes?"

"Can I tell you something?"

He looked unsure when he answered, "Sure. Go for it."

"Its not your fault."

"Excuse me?"

"Your mother, the car accident that took her life. It wasn't your fault."

His eyes narrowed at her and she could feel the room become tense, "Who told you about that? No one here knows about any of that."

"Your mother did. She said the necklace you are wearing was hers. When no one else was around she used to call you Sugar-foot cause you would suck on your feet when you were a baby."

"What kind of black magic were you into?" Logan went to his knees in front of her, "How do you know this?"

"It's not magic. She is here, beside you right now." Hazel said, "The argument the two of you got in before she drove off, she said it wasn't your fault."

"There is no way... There's no way-" She knew the nickname his mother used when only the two of them were near each other. Nobody else never new about it. He sat there for a moment before a tear fell down his cheek, "You're not lying to me?"

"No."

"Ask... Ask her... If she is in Heaven?"

The spirit beside him bopped his head while yelling, _"Of course I am! Or at least I was before I saw you blaming yourself down here on Earth! Are ya stupid or something? Cause ya can't fix stupid!"_

Hazel snorted a laugh at the last comment, "She said of course she was until she saw you beating yourself up and blaming yourself for her death. Then asked if you were stupid and said 'Ya can't fix stupid.'"

"Ya can't fix stupid." He laughed and stood up, "That was her favorite thing to say..."

He looked at the pills he had in the cup then looked to her before walking out of the room, moving to the next patient. The woman watching the surveillance cameras witnessed the entire conversation. This wasn't the first time for Hazel to start conversations like this and she always had proof she was telling the truth.

...

Several months later the phone rang. The blonde doctor pressed the speaker phone button when she saw the caller ID, "Professor Bruttenholm, it was months when I last called you."

"We have been busy and having various issues. Do forgive me." The voice on the speaker said, "what was it you wanted to talk to me about?"

"I wanted to ask if you could come talk to one of our patients, Professor."

"Any particular reason why?" He asked.

"She... She can see dead people, spirits of people who have passed away. She can communicate with them... She has a few other abilities but she refuses to tell us anything else. I contacted her family and wrote down all of the information you may need. I also mentioned that the B.P.R.D. could possibly help her. The parents are okay with it." The doctor seemed to say everything in one breath, "I just really wanted you to speak with her."

"Then I'll be there as soon as I can."

...

It only took an hour for Bruttenholm to arrive, John Myers by his side. After a security check they were able to enter the room the girl was being held in.

Myers looked over the papers that had her information on it and saw that she was diagnosed recently with depression. Not eating or sleeping, refusing to take any and all medications. Seeing her petite body in the corner all he could think about was the girl from The Ring. Her black hair was long and covered her face, some of it different lengths as if she had cut it randomly. Her skin was pale and she wasn't moving.

'That explained why they had to come to the actual padded room...' He thought.

"Hazel Patterson."

She slowly looked up at him.

"I am Professor Bruttenholm with the B.P.R.D." He inched closer to her, "Can I talk to you about the organization I represent?"

He received a hesitant nod.

"The B.P.R.D. is an organization responsible for protecting the world from the occult, paranormal and supernatural. Quite a few paranormal agents have joined us. We learned of your ability and were wondering if you would want to come with us."

Short but sweet and to the point.

Hazel nodded.

...

She was quiet on the way there. Her clothing she had brought when she was first entered into the mental hospital was still clean as she hadn't worn it long before she was put in a straight jacket. Her long back hair almost blended in with the long black shirt and black boots she had on. Everything matched her black shirt and jacket.

Myers thought she looked like a witch from the movies but said nothing. She was polite when they spoke to her and asked questions about her but kept her face mostly hidden by her hair.

When they arrived she felt a bit of excitement after realizing she wouldn't be at the hospital for the night, at least.

"Your abilities," The professor started, "Includes communicating with spirits of those who have long since passed..."

"I can see them and talk to them. I... Can also sense and see demons but I try not to mess with them if I can help it." She explained, "I don't see how much help I can be considering the headaches I get from everything. I have back issues, too... I didn't get to graduate high school. They took me out in 9th grade and stuck me in the hospital because they were scared I would hurt myself. They didn't believe me when I tried telling them what was happening."

Bruttenholm smiled at her, leading her into a library, "Everything you need to know in life is here. We would be honored if you would stay a while and try being an agent. You wouldn't have to do any fighting, there are others for that."

Hazel nodded, "Okay. But sometimes a spirit has a solid form and look like normal people going about their every day business. With those I can never tell if they are spirits or not unless I touch them."

"Seeing a girl talking to nothing is normal around here. Unique is a popular term here, you have no need to worry about any one judging you." He said.

The girl gazed around the room and saw all of the book shelves. She smiled when she saw there was more than one floor with more than a ton of books.

"You like to read?" A voice came from behind her, "You like the more paranormal, 'scary' stories."

"Yes..." She turned and saw a tank and jumped slightly when she saw a mutated man swim up behind the glass. A smile formed on her face and she approached the glass, "This is amazing!"

"We call him Abraham Sapien, or just Abe. He is one of the agents I mentioned." Bruttenholm smiled and she heard the doors open again.

This time another voice spoke, "So, this is the new girl?"

Hazel turned around and her eyes grew wide, "Hellboy?"

"Yeah. You're a bit smaller than I expected."

"Sorry..." She pouted a bit but couldn't take her eyes off of the red man, "You look wicked awesome! Both of you do! This... I have to be dreaming..."

"I can pinch you so you can see if it hurts or not. If it doesn't then you're dreaming." Hellboy said, gently pinching her arm with his stone hand, "You're awake, kid."

She was awake! She wasn't dreaming!

Hazel smiled, the first time she had actually smiled in years.


End file.
